Benjamin f



(No'ModeL) I B. RDAVIS.

ELEVATING SGAPPOLD. No. 583,034. Patented May 25, 1897.

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' ,UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

- BENJAMIN JFK DAVIS, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

I EL EVATING-SCAFFOLD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 583,034, dated May 25, 1897. Application filed June 4, 1896. Serial No. 594,276. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. DAvIs, a

citizen of the United States, and a residentof New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elevating- Scaffolds, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof, in which similarnunierals of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to scafiolds such as are usually employed for repairing and painting houses and for many other and similar purposes; and the object of the invention is to provide an improved scaffold which is simple in construction and operation and which may be employed for the purposes above specified and for manyothers in which scaffolds are required.

In the practice of my invention I provide two suitable bases or supports which may be connected or otherwise, as desired, and said bases or supports are each provided with a set of lazy-tongs which are connected therewith at their lower ends and which support the scaflold at their upper ends, said bases being prepared with means for raising or lowering the lazy-tongs.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which Figure 1 is an end view of one of the bases or supports which I employ, showing a pair of lazy-tongs connected therewith and partly extended or raised and showing alsoa part of the scaffold which is supported thereby; Fig. 2, a similar end View showing the scaffold lowered; Fig. 3, a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 a perspective view of a detail of the construction.

As hereinbefore stated, I provide in the practice of my invent-ion two bases or supports which may be connected or otherwise, as desired, and in the drawings forming part of this specification, I have shown one of these bases at 5.

The bases or supports consist of suitable frames having a central longitudinal bar 6 and-a top longitudinal bar 7, which is parallel therewith, and upwardly and inwardly inclined braces 8,whicl1 are provided with supplemental braces 9, and passing vertically through the horizontal bars 6 and 7is a screwthreaded shaft or bolt 10, and formed in the upper horizontal bar 7 is a longitudinal slot 11, and mounted on said screw threaded shaft or bolt 10 between the horizontal bars 6 and 7 is a power-wheel 12. I also provide for each base or support a set of lazy-tongs 13, the lower section or bars of which are provided with pins or bolts 14:, which pass through the slot 11 in the horizontal bar '7, and the upper sections or bars of these lazytongs are provided with pins or bolts 15, which pass through a horizontal slot 17, formed in the frame of the scaffold 18, and

said frame of the scaffold 18 is also provided with downwardly directed and inclined braces 19, with which are connected supplemental braces 20.

Secured at the central pivotal points 21 of the lazy-tongs which are arranged in vertical line are shoes 22, which open outwardly, and secured to the under side of the scaffold 18 in line with said central pivotal points 21 is a depending bar 23, which is provided at its lower end with a band 2%, and I also provide a number of independent bars 25, which are similar in form to the bar 23, each of which is provided at one end with a hook 26, which is adapted to engage with the band 24 at the lower end of the bar 23, and the separate bars 25 may be similarly connected, it being understood'that each of these bars is provided at one end with a hook 26 and at the other with a band 24. These bars 25 may be of any desired length and are preferably much longer than the bars 23, and in the operation 'of raising the scaffold the power-wheels 12,

which are employed at each end or in connection with each of the bases or supports 5, two of which are employed, as hereinbefore stated, but only one of which is shown, are turned so as to raise the screw-threaded shafts or bolts, and the upper ends of these screwthreaded shafts or bolts 10 are pivotally connected with the central pivotal points 21 of the lower section of the lazy-tongs, and as these screw-threaded shafts or bolts are turned the scaffold 18 will be forced upwardly, and as the scaffold is forced upwardly one of the bars 25 is connected with the bars 23 at each end of the scaffold, and said bars 25 are suspended centrally of the lazy-tongs, as shown in Fig. 1, and in the shoes 22, and these bars 25 serve to give stability and rigidity to the lazy-tongs as they are gradually raised or extended upward by means of the wheels 12 and the screw-threaded shafts or bolts 10.

The shoes 22 may be of any desired form, all that is necessary in this connection being to form said shoes so that the rods or bars 25 may be passed therethrough or placed therein and be free to slide therein as the scaffold is raised. I also connect with the scaffold 18 vertical standards 27, which may be located on the corners and at any desired point along the sides thereof, and these standards 27 are connected by means of a rope, cord, or chain 28. It will be apparent that the form of sup port for the scaffold may be made of any desired strength, and it will thus be seen that I provide a scaffold which may be conveniently and easily raised or lowered Whenever desired, and all that is necessary in lowering the same being to reverse the movement of the wheels 12 and to disconnect the rods or bars 25 as the scaffold is lowered.

My invention is not limited to the form or construction of the bases or supports 5, and any desired number thereof may be employed, and in the operation, as hereinbefore described, the braces 8, connected with said bases or supports, serve as guides for the rods or bars 25 and assist in giving strength, stability, and rigidity to the lazytongs, and the braces 19, which are connected with the frame of the scaffold, serve for a similar purpose, the said rods or bars 25 being free to slide or move between said braces and between the braces 8.

It is evident that changes in and modifications of the construction herein described may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages, and I reserve the right to make all such alterations therein and modifications thereof as fairly come within the scope of the invention.

Having fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent A scaffold comprising a base, said base having a frame, a top longitudinal bar having a lon gitudinal-extcndin g slot therein, inwardly and upwardly inclined braces secured to said frame at their lower ends, supplemental braces engaging said frame and said first braces, a series of lovers comprising lazytongs, a vertical screw-threaded bolt mounted in said frame and engaging the lowermost member of said lazy-tongs, a platform having secured to its under side downwardly-projecting braces and supplemental braces, and being provided with a horizontal slot in its frame, pins in the upper and lower members of said lazy-tongs adapted to enter both of the aforesaid slots, shoes secured at the central pivoted points of each set of levers, depending bars secured to the under side of said platform and adapted to enter said shoes, and other bars engaging said shoes, and alternately engaging each other, said parts being combined substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention 1 have signed my name, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 28th day of May, 1806.

BENJAMIN F. DAVIS.

lVitnesses:

CHARLES GRIsTnDE, J. GILBERT WARFIELD. 

